Redwood Shores Basin / Lagoon

The coldest water I ever swam in was in this lagoon. It was 49.6 degrees! There were also evidence of a lot of ducks present, and I was ambivalent about the cleanliness, but our coach checks to make sure the water is clean enough for swimming.

Redwood Shores offers three distances for a calm open water workout: a 2.0 mile swim, a 1.25 mile swim, and a shorter .5 mile swim. All swims start and finish at the steps leading into the Redwood Shores Basin / Lagoon. Be careful getting into the water, there are some sharp stones on the bottom, and it may be necessary to crawl up the steps to get out.

The .5 mile swimmers will swim east towards the Bridge Parkway overpass, round a small white buoy 100 yards before coming to the overpass and then return to the steps.

The 1.25-mile swimmers will follow the same course as the .5 mile swimmers but will continue under the Bridge Parkway overpass, proceed another 300 - 400 yards to a channel entering from the right and then return to the steps.

The 2.0 mile swimmers will proceed past the turn around for the 1.25 mile swimmers and continue on until they reach a second channel entering from the right (this is approximately 200 yards from where the water ends at Shell Parkway). At this intersecting waterway, they will turn around and proceed back to the steps.

Redwood Shores has a multi-use path that begins near the Oracle Corporation and travels through Foster City and San Mateo to the Coyote Point Recreation Area.

Directions

From the north, take Highway 101 south, go east on Marine World Parkway (Ralston Avenue / Belmont exit) and turn right on Lagoon Drive. Go to the entrance marker that says "1 & 3 Lagoon Drive - Paragon Point" and turn into the drive. Park and look for the three flagpoles by the water. These are where the "steps" are and where you start and finish.

From the south, take Highway 101 north, go east on Marine World Parkway (Ralston Avenue / Belmont exit) and turn right on Lagoon Drive. Go to the entrance marker that says "1 & 3 Lagoon Drive - Paragon Point" and turn into the drive. Park and look for the three flagpoles by the water. These are where the "steps" are and where you start and finish.

From the East Bay, take Highway 92 west across the San Mateo Bridge and follow the above directions on coming "from the north."

Tri Home.